Time Warner not responding to market, Goodell says

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell indicated today that Time Warner Cable is misreading the marketplace in not adding NFL Network to its service.

Goodell, who also announced an expansion of the NFL Network’s package from 8 to 13 live games, was asked specifically about the Time Warner situation at his pre-Super Bowl news conference in Indianapolis.

“The network continues to do an incredible job of promoting our sport, our game,” he said. “It’s giving fans the opportunity, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to get NFL football. They’ve shown their demand for that. They’ve shown how much they want to see football.

“Every cable operator other than the two (Time Warner and Cablevision) have seen that that’s good for their customers. We’ll continue to work with them. We’ll continue to try and get an agreement, but the market has spoken. The NFL Network is here, and it will continue to grow.”

As someone who gets NFL Network (via DirecTV), I say that it is worth it. The network offers live Arena and CFL games, not to mention every preseason game (either live or tape delay), and gives diehard fans enough of a fix to get through six months without football.

Verizon Fios and DirectTV are companys that have an agreement with each which is why Fios can carry the NFL network and the reason Time Warner Cable does not carry the NFL network is because it is a Direct TV only product and has a contract with the NFL to be the only provider of it. The NFL has the most lucrative TV right and Direct TV won the bid this is just Goodell making talking out of his butt rather then being honest about the situation.

@Ghost: I think you’ve got NFL Network and NFL Sunday Ticket confused. Sunday Ticket — the product that allows you to watch every NFL game every week — is exclusive to DirecTV. NFL Network, the channel being talked about here, is available on both satellite providers and many cable systems including FiOS, Comcast, Cox, and Charter. Time Warner and Cablevision are notable for being two major cable companies to not offer NFL Network or its sister channel, the NFL RedZone Channel.

NFL Network is essentially a football talking head network with 13 live games a year. I don’t want my cable raised for that. And your guaranteed to see your local team on simulcast no matter what! You can make a lot of complaints about Time Warner based on price and service and I’m with you. But the NFL Network is not a necessary channel needed to add to my bill and definitely don’t have a gripe without it. If Time Warner feel that they were jobbed out of the Sunday Ticket and feel the NFL Network is an inferior product to place on their basic tier, more power to them.

Unfortunately, once it is all said and done and it becomes ‘convenient’ for Time Warner to adopt it, they will do so no matter what is best for their customers.

Right on Dale Gribble! (except for MLB Network. I looove that channel).

Most people do not watch NFL network all year round. If ur willing for those who want TWC to carry u should pay extra for it in a special package. i dont want it, so i dont want my cable to go up so u can watch 8 which is now 13 meaningless games. Anything including NFL is wwidely available through ESPN or the internet. i dont need NFL network to keep up with Nfl news

I get plenty of specialized channels I don’t want on TWC, but not the one I want. I hear what others say about they don’t care about NFL Network, but plenty do. Many of the channels currently offered on the basic tier are partially owned by TWC, see the Hallmark compromise when they had the same issues. Halmark is on which I could care less about, but NFL is not.

TWC and Cablevision continue to not recognize what every other carrier does, that NFL Network provides value. When and if FIOS or some other can challenge their monopoly they will learn.

I feel that NFL Network should be available on TWC, but on the Digital Sports Pass, not the Digital Basic Tier. Considering that Sunday Ticket is not available to cable television customers, the NFL Network is not entitled to the same treatment that MLB Network and NBA TV receive from these same cable companies.

Personally, with Jim Rome’s new TV show premiering on CBS Sports Network in April, I would rather see CBSSN on the Digital Basic Tier as opposed to the NFL Network. At least I’ll watch “Rome” year-round.

I think the NFL has crossed the line with their network. They are making billions from ESPN, CBS, NBC and Fox. Why do they need to take games from the other channels and put them exclusively on their own network? They aren’t doing it for the fans. They just want a piece of your cable bill!!!

@Sesentinueve – they don’t really want it on digital basic. They have such an inflated ego that the only place that they think it should be placed is in the basic or standard packages, like an ESPN; this is ludicrous. I personally believe that it should not be a digital sports pass channel, that TW can and should place it in the digital basic area, like they have with the MLB, NBA, and NHL networks. You can take your Jim Rome; I’ll gladly live with him off the regular airwaves.

All I can say is you don’t know what you’re missing. I have Verzion FiOS and NFL network isn’t the only good thing about it.. The HD channels are so crisp. every HD channel is coming across at 1080I!!! instead 780I like time warner. Their customer service is unbelievable. During that Fox black out I called and let them know I wasn’t happy so they gave me Cinemax, HBO and Showtime free for two years. I have the same package (internet, cable and phone) I had with TW and pay $60 less and get the NFL network. The internet win Verzion blows TW out of the water!! I will never watch football the same way than I did this year when I received the NFL red zone it is the best way to watch football. TW is garbage if you can make the switch. It was the greatest move we made. So for all of you that say the NFL is out to get your money why is it that Verzion that carries the NFL network is so much cheaper than Time Warner? Who is really out to over charge you and get rich off of you???? TW is the real satin here until verzion came into this area they had the Monopoly on cable!!!

mike should know that NHL Network was still on TWC’s Digital Sports Pass before the dispute with MSG Networks caused TWC to temporarily move NHL Network to MSG+’s slots of Channel 26 and 630, making it available on the Standard Level.

We both agree that the NFL has a very inflated ego. But as long as Sunday Ticket is not available to cable television companies and customers, NFL Network is not entitled to Digital Basic treatment like the leagues whose PPV packages are available to cable television companies and customers.

This dispute between time warner and the NFL is well beyond discreation.—Right/wrong/indifferent,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Nows the “time” in getting a deal DONE!,,,,,enough already. The NFL’s holding the cards and its all on the Time Warner cable company to maks a deal!
Stop the nonsense Time warner,your a major cable tv company and its totally uncool for your loyal customers to be deprived of receiving this channel.

Back in 2009, Comcast, the U.S.’s largest cable television service provider in number of customers, signed a 10-year deal with NFL Network for 45 cents per month per subscriber. The last time I checked, TWC was being offered NFL Network at 75 cents per month per subscriber.

I know costs go up over time, but 66 2/3% seems too high to me for three years. Has your salary increased by 66 2/3% over the past three years?

If FiOS was available in my townhouse development, I would definitely make the switch to FiOS. But I also understand why companies such as TWC and Cablevision (downstate) don’t carry NFL Network.

Time Warner is right here. Im an NFl fan but the nfl is trying to force its channels on everyone which would result in higher prices for everyone including those who dont like the NFL. TW offered a sports package where they would give the NFL 100% of the revenue and they still denied it.
100% agree with Dale and paul